Pinterest Challenge #1.

I've got a little summer challenge for all of us.  Myself included.  I'll lead the way.

I love Pinterest.  I think it's amazing.  It gives us moms new and interesting ideas, it helps us think about stuff we might already have lying around the house in a different way, it provides new recipes to try, manicures to give a whirl, inspiration of what to put together as an outfit when you're feeling like your closet is boring, home organization epiphanies, and games to play with the kiddos amongst other things.

I get very weary of the Pinterest bashers.  Very weary.  I think it smacks of a little insincerity.  There, I said it.  I don't believe for a single second that just because someone puts up a picture of their newly remodeled bathroom and it's fabulous, that the rest of their life is just as perfect and I'll never be able to keep up.  I don't buy that because Mom Doe whipped up some beautiful cupcakes one time and pinned them that she regularly throws Martha Stewartesque parties--and yeah for her if she does--can I be invited?  Let her star shine if that's her star.

What is invaluable about Pinterest is that I believe it can inspire and initiate creativity where there might not have been any to start.  It can be a catalyst for a DIY that you'd never thought of doing before.....and before you know it, it's taken on a life of its own with your very own signature to it.  Creativity begets creativity.  The more you look at it, do it, get into it, the more naturally it comes.

Okay.  I'll step down off that soapbox now.

I do have one problem with it however.  I pin phenomenal ideas and.........rarely complete any of them.  What a waste of computer time.  So here's my challenge, and I believe summer to be a great time to enact this......

I challenge myself to two Pinterest weeks a month.  Here are the rules:

1.  On Saturday or Sunday (or whichever days you choose if decide to join me!) I'll pick a combination of five activities, recipes, simple DIY's, sayings to frame, practices to start, or anything else that strikes my fancy.

2.  I'll schedule them, one per day, Monday through Friday based on what I know my week looks like. Simpler ideas for busier days.

3.  On Sunday afternoon I'll compile all of the supplies I need for my Pinterest week and put them in one location.  This will help the, "Oh crap--I was going to make a parade float of Ernest Hemingway today and I don't have what I need to make it," excuses on the day that you want to accomplish that activity.

4.  And then.....come Monday......I'll get started on that list. I will. I will. I will.  And I'll let you know how I did in a post on Friday!

Here's my list for the upcoming week:

Monday:  I'm sure you've come across this activity on Pinterest recently--it's originally from here.  Starting the week off easy.

Tuesday:  Georgia loves these little pompon's--we actually call them puffle balls here at our house.  We play kitchen with them as they can turn into any variety of soup or dessert, we make magnets out of them, we sew them onto shirts, and just generally make a mess with them.  Tuesday--we'll be making clothes pin magnets out of them.  Here's the original web-site!

Wednesday: What better craft for a Wizard of Oz loving-'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' singing little girl?  Find the author of it here! Sorry for the fuzz--couldn't get it any better!

Thursday: Georgia thinks pool noodles were invented by God and wants to play with them anywhere and everywhere they are sold.  I know she'll be all over this! I found it here.

Friday: And since I already needed to purchase a few pool noodles for Thursday, I added this activity in too.  We'll see how it goes.  Find it here.

And finally--I added these to the mix too........

I've wanted to make them for a while and thought---I'll start this challenge off right!  Six things!  This great little food web-site is home to these delicious looking little morsels.

You'll notice that I focused on activities and crafts that are really all about Georgia--and that's on purpose.  I want to get better at intentional play with her. While I think it's crucial that she can play independently, conduct pretend play, and that we can just make up games spur of the moment I also think kids need to feel like mom has specifically set aside time to complete a special and 'authentically for them' project of some variety.  I'm assuming that my Pinterest weeks, in general, will follow in this same vein.

So what do you think?  Care to join me?  Just do one week a month, one day a week, one weekend a month, or whatever number works for you. The point is--take the time to try out some of those amazing ideas you spend the majority of the 'Bachelorette' pinning.  If you're up for it--let me know--I'd love to have a Pinterest team to cheer one another on with!  And tell me what idea you've been dying to try from Pinterest yourself!

Your kids will think it's awesome!  Let them help pick out some of the activities. Make a "Pinterest Challenge" board full of ideas that are easy and do-able and fun for kids; recipes, games, projects, books to read--whatever!  Make it a great summer.  Let Pinterest help you do that!

I'm learning all too quickly that our babies soon turn into little girls like this......

Little girls that all of a sudden look way too old.  Little girls that are growing up faster than you would ever want them to.

Be intentional with them.  As much as you can.

They won't forget.

Okay!  Here we go!  Week #1!